The present invention relates to computerized telecommunications.
There are existing telephone services, typically 1-800 numbers, which provide a dialing tone in response to an incoming call from any one of a typically large population of subscribers. The caller then dials a telephone number of a desired subscriber and is connected to that subscriber. These services are available either through PABX""s or as a Centrex service. The caller must provide the telephone number of the desired subscriber and cannot request that the telephone number be provided in response to provision of other information such as the subscriber name.
Telephone network operators, such as cellular telephone network operators and long-distance operators provide a voice-assisted dialing system which is trained by each of a plurality of callers to contact a limited number of subscribers upon receipt of oral identification of a desired subscriber.
In corporate voice-mail systems, it is possible to enter a dialogue menu in which the caller is prompted to provide a touch-tone identification of a desired extension within the local PABX.
There are audio/telephony add-on cards, such as the IBM M-Wave, which allow a telephone to be employed as an instrument for providing audio input to a computer and for receiving audio output therefrom.
The present invention seeks to provide improved apparatus and methods for computerized telecommunications.
There is thus provided in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention single-line computerized conferencing apparatus including apparatus for receiving from a caller an indication of a desired subscriber within the telephone network, and a computerized conferencing device connected to the telephone network via a single telephone line and operative to provide a conference call between the computerized apparatus, the caller and the subscriber.
Further in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention the indication of the desired subscriber is at least partly transmitted by voice.
Still further in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention the indication of the desired subscriber is at least partly transmitted by touch-tone dialing.
There is also provided in accordance with another preferred embodiment of the present invention a computerized communications system including a toll-free radio cordless handset via which a user may generate a command, and a computer in toll-free radio communication with the cordless handset and operative to receive and carry out the command.
Further in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention the handset has a single off-hook button which, when activated, establishes an audio link between the handset and the computer if the computer is on.
Still further in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention the off-hook button, when activated, establishes a link between the handset and the telephone network, if the computer is off.
Additionally in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention the computer is operative, upon receipt of a predetermined signal from the handset, to connect the handset to the telephone network.
Moreover in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention the command is transmitted at least partly as voice input.
Further in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention the command is transmitted at least partly as touch tone input.
There is also provided in accordance with another preferred embodiment of the present invention a method for modifying a cordless handset base normally connected to a telephone network to allow the base to link the cordless handset to a computer, the method including providing selective connection circuitry selectively linking the base to the computer or to the telephone network, and controlling the operation of the connection circuitry so as to connect the base either to the computer or to the telephone network in accordance with a predetermined criterion arriving from the cordless handset.
Further in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention the predetermined criterion includes whether the computer is on or off and wherein the controlling process includes sensing whether the computer is on or off.
There is also provided in accordance with another preferred embodiment of the present invention apparatus for selectively connecting a cordless handset base to a telephone network or to a computer, the apparatus including selective connection circuitry selectively linking the base to the computer or to the telephone network, and a connection circuitry controlling device operative to control the operation of the connection circuitry so as to connect the base either to the computer or to the telephone network in accordance with a predetermined criterion arriving from the cordless handset.
Further in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention the indication of a desired subscriber includes subscriber identifying information other than the subscriber""s telephone number and also including a computerized directory, and a directory accessing device operative to access the computerized directory and to retrieve the telephone number of the desired subscriber, based on the subscriber identifying information.
There is also provided in accordance with another preferred embodiment of the present invention a computerized communications system including a telephone instrument via which a user may generate a command, and a computer in local communication with the telephone and operative to receive and carry out the command.
There is also provided in accordance with another preferred embodiment of the present invention a method for modifying a telephone instrument normally connected to a telephone network to allow the telephone instrument to be linked to the computer, the method including providing selective connection circuitry selectively linking the telephone instrument to the computer or to the telephone network, and controlling the operation of the connection circuitry so as to connect the telephone instrument either to the computer or to the telephone network in accordance with a predetermined criterion provided by a user via the speaker of the telephone instrument.
There is also provided in accordance with another preferred embodiment of the present invention a computerized communications system including a computer, a telephone instrument selectively connected to the computer and to a telephone network, and a speech activity detector operative to connect the telephone instrument to the computer or to the telephone network in accordance with detected speech activity.